1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a low profile electrical connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
More and more low profile electrical connectors are being used in compliance with the miniaturization trend in the present electronic field. Referring to FIGS. 9-11, one type of low profile electrical connector 1 comprises an insulative housing 2 having a mating portion 20 and a mounting portion 22, and a plurality of electrical contacts 3. A height D is defined between a mating face 200 of the mating portion 20 and a mounting face 220 of the mounting portion 22. The mating portion 20 defines a longitudinal slot 203 therein and a plurality of passageways 201 extending vertically therethrough and communicating with the slot 203 through longer and shorter openings 206, 205 defined in lower sections of inner side walls 207 of the passageways 201.
The electrical contacts 3 are inserted into the passageways 201, respectively, and each has a curved contact section 30 protruding through the openings 205, 206 into the slot 203 and a vertical retention portion 31 having an engaging section 32 engaging with the mating portion 20. The curved contact section 30 of the electrical contact 3 corresponding to the shorter opening 205 is situated vertically lower than the curved contact section 30 of the electrical contact 3 corresponding to the longer opening 206, and the length B of the engaging section 32 of the electrical contact 3 corresponding to the shorter opening 205 is smaller than the length A of the engaging section 32 of the electrical contact 3 corresponding to the longer opening 206.
As is clearly shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the retention portion 31 of the electrical contact 3 corresponding to the shorter opening 205 has still a section which is located below the engaging section 32 without engaging with the mating portion 20, so the retention therebetween is unreliable. In addition, both the length A and the length B of the engaging sections 32, through which the electrical contacts 3 engage with the mating portion 20, are small due to the limited height D, as determined by practical applications or industrial standards, thereby further reducing the reliability of the retention between the electrical contacts 3 and the insulative housing 2.
It has been proposed to improve the retention between the electrical contacts 3 and the insulative housing 2 by increasing the height D of the insulative housing 2 or changing the shapes of the electrical contacts 3. However, increasing the height D of the insulative housing 2 unavoidably increases a total height of the electrical connector 1, which is undesired to most practical applications or industrial standards. In addition, changing the shapes of the electrical contacts 3 always results in complicated manufacturing procedures and increased manufacturing cost.
Therefore, an improved low profile electrical connector is desired to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.
A major object of the present invention is to provide a low profile electrical connector having electrical contacts reliably retained to an insulative housing thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a low profile electrical connector which improves the retention between electrical contacts thereof and an insulative housing thereof without changing a total height thereof and the electrical contacts themselves.
A low profile electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of electrical contacts and a pair of boardlocks retained to the insulative housing. The insulative housing comprises a pair of slots and a plurality of passageways extending vertically therethrough and communicating with the slots through longer and shorter openings. Each electrical contact comprises a retention portion completely engaging with the insulative housing, a transitional portion extending from the retention portion, and a curved contact section protruding through the longer and the shorter openings into the slots. The curved contact sections of the electrical contacts corresponding to the longer openings are located vertically higher than the curved contact sections of the electrical contacts corresponding to the shorter openings and the transitional portions of the electrical contacts corresponding to the longer openings engage with the insulative housing.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.